Gobbler's Knob Fire Lookout — a fire lookout in Pierce County, Washington — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Mount Rainier National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Eatonville, about 28 km (17 mi) away (Gobbler's Knob Fire Lookout lies ESE of town). It dates from 1933. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Gobbler's Knob Fire Lookout is a fire lookout tower in the extreme western region of Mount Rainier National Park at an elevation of 5,485 feet (1,672 m). One of four fire lookouts remaining in the park, the lookout is used for visitor services during summer weekends. The building is about 14 feet (4.3 m) by 14 feet (4.3 m), and was designed by the National Park Service Branch of Plans and designs under the supervision of Acting Chief Architect Edwin A. Nickel. It was built in 1933. The two-story structure features a balconied lookout on the second level, with storage on the ground level. Cables secured to deadmen keep the lookout from blowing over. The lookout was extensively damaged in a 2006 storm, along with Mount Fremont Fire Lookout, with both since being repaired. The lookout was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 13, 1991. It is part of the Mount...From the Wikipedia article “Gobbler's Knob Fire Lookout”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gobbler's Knob Fire Lookout the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 54° NE | 9:06 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 125° SE | 4:23 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 32m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Lookouts are built for 360° views, so sunrise and sunset are both options — use the azimuths to decide which view you want.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:21 PM | 8h 57m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 02m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:14 AM | 6:01 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 50m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 30m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:53 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 24m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:56 PM | 8h 34m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Gobbler's Knob Fire Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:28 AM – 4:18 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:34 AM – 3:04 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:56 PM – 2:16 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:33 PM – 1:13 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:21 PM – 11:11 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 9:06 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.27 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 29% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). August is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 55 | 54 | 64 | 73 | 82 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 92 | 81 | 59 | 47 |
| Low °F | -12 | -9 | 0 | 14 | 24 | 30 | 34 | 37 | 27 | 14 | -11 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 6.7 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this fire lookout
- Some lookouts can be rented overnight through recreation.gov, which puts you on site for both sunset and sunrise.
- Shoot the tower itself against the Milky Way or star trails on clear, moonless nights.
- Haze from wildfire smoke can turn the sun deep red but reduce visibility; check air quality.
- Access roads may be rough or seasonal.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Summer and early autumn; many towers are staffed only during fire season.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Warm layers. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Gobbler's Knob Fire Lookout, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Waterfall
Glacier
Glacier
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Big Creek (Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Wa)7.8 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Cougar Rock Campground9.7 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Cougar Rock Group Campground9.7 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- White River Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Ohanapecosh Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gobbler's Knob Fire Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Gobbler's Knob Fire Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gobbler's Knob Fire Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gobbler's Knob Fire Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gobbler's Knob Fire Lookout?
How far is Gobbler's Knob Fire Lookout from Eatonville?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.